The Ongoing Mystery Aircraft Thread Part Deux.

[lefty]

Thank you Robert. Here's a tubby little number -

 

[wout]

Hi Mike
The unique Townsend A-1 Thunderbird (N794T) with the original Notre Dame back?

 

[lefty]

That's the one, Walter - over to you -

(Robert, glad you enjoyed Garda - we had a good time there a few years ago - staying in Riva, which is very German - lots of beer !)

 

[wout]

A nice tri-motor.
Hint: Temper your enthusiasm, because it is not the often depicted other one.

 

[fabulousfour]

Interesting, Mike.
We had only a short visit to Riva since we had our appartement on the other side of the lake at Lazise.
One thing was really weird: We had a Fiat with an Italian license plate. One time we drove onto a parking place and the man who gave the parking ticket talked to us in German. Still wondering how he did know about our nationality.


Walter, your trimotor looks very Piper-ish but couldn't find anything more yet.

 

[pomme homme]

On the basis that it isn't the Piper PA-32-3M, that gave birth to the Senaca, could it be some sort of tri-senaca (although I cannot find any reference to any such conversion)?

 

[wout]

I had not heard of this tri-motor myself until a couple of days ago.
Sorry, but no PA-32 Cherokee Six or PA-34 Seneca connection

 

[srgalahad]

If one took a Comanche 260B and mated the fuselage to Twin Comanche wings... voila! (or any other combination of the above parts).
A Twin Comanche with an extra 250/260 engine on the nose might work also.
But who would do it and why? Je ne sais pas...

Wiring and running the engine controls would be a PITA.

 

[srgalahad]

A Twin Comanche with an extra 250/260 engine on the nose might work also.
But who would do it and why? Je ne sais pas...

Well, your tax $$ at work... NASA Langley Nacelle tests 1971

https://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Test_325:_Nacelle_Study_on_PA-30_(Fink)_and_Model_Tunnel

Sure explains "who", but no explanation of 'why'. In lieu of a better designation, I guess it's the "Langley Test 325"

 

[wout]

srgalahad nailed it
Thank you for the very nice link!
I found the photo of the "Tri-Comanche" on the very interesting site of Jason McDowell (https: // www.toopics.com/cessnateur).Lots of photos/info on unusual aircraft, events. If you have the patience, you may even find a photo of a Swearingen Metroliner with two small turbofans at the rear fuselage.
(reportedly was just weeks away from a first flight).

srgalahad, the playing ground is all yours

 

[srgalahad]

Thanks W.
With temps 10C below normal, I'll opt for a hot toddy. At the same time I'll unlock the gates to the playground and make it Open House.

 

[wout]

to keep us going.... A variation on a theme.

 

[wout]

around 1952ish. Not Pilatus, but the other part.

 

[lefty]

The penny has now dropped. This is the Pontius adaptation of the Pou from somewhere in the

 

[wout]

Hi Mike
Often referred to as the Model 3 by John Pontius, California. Engine is a 36hp Aeronca E113
Quoting Robert, the playground gate is wide open.

 

[srgalahad]

Following the "small and simple" theme,

Not a one-off, too big for a suitcase and definitely not a flying saucer...

 

[srgalahad]

This 'petite soucoupe' hails from a place more known for a tragi-heroic Douglas tri-jet than for fragile flivvers.

 

[lefty]

Gosh ! You do have to do a lot of detective work on this forum nowadays,,,,however Rob's clue led me to the Kari-Keen 60, from, of course, Sioux City ?

 

[srgalahad]

indeed the K-K 60, otherwise known as the Sioux Coupe, produced by a subsidiary of the Karrier luggage company.
Normally I'd refrain from the Poirot adventure but the description on Aerofiles just made it unavoidable.

A large one for your efforts Mike!

 

[lefty]

Thank you Rob. Here's a neat biplane -